What was your experience with a pain pump?

Thank you for the response! Morphine worked great for me but had one side effect. Couldn’t pee! I was bummed because I could finally walk without pain. Trying Dilaudid next week. 🙏🙏🙏

Have you done the trial? Thanks for the tip about the book, I'll pass it on. Hope you are feeling better.

I am getting my second trial next week on a different medication. The morphine worked but urinating side effects.🙏🙏🙏

Actually, at first I thought my trial was not a go. But the important thing is it took away the pain, they can tweek the meds and find the right one that will work for you I'm sure lt can't come fast enough.

I have the Metronic’s pain pump and it works well, however after 5 years I have to use a catheter a few times a day to pee. I now have the Metronic’s Stilumator implanted and the pain pump we are trying to lower the amount of drugs being used and then remove the pain pump. It’s not going well the stimulator is a big pain and little relief. No more back and neck surgeries are available to manage the damage so I made need both plus keep using a catheter. Oh I am only 64 years old and staying active and will not give in with living my life!

I've had constant and increasing chronic back pain for 8 years. I've had surgery twice and tried everything suggested. These include chiropractor, acupuncture, physical therapy, and various procedures from nerve blocks, ablation, epidural, injections, medications and everything the doctors suggested. My pain continues to worsen. The doctors now say I only have 3 options: continue on staying in bed with pain, having my entire back fused together, or the pain pump. I can't go on like this, I don't want more surgery, and I'm ready to try the pain pump. What do I need to know about the pump that I don't see online??? I'm especially interested in problems associated with the pump. What should I know??

Do you live in an area where the weather won't cause problems with having the pump refilled every month? Ask what type of medication will be tried and check the side effects. Don't let them use Baclofen. Doctor's want to use this med. It destroys a persons liver. You are started on very low doses of what they feel will work best for you. If you are taking oral pain meds now, be sure they let you keep some until they get your dose in the pump figured out over several months. You are usually allowed to give the pump a specified amount of extra medication hits per 24 hour for break-thru pain. My friend has had one since 2002. She says it saved her life. She was taking more pain meds and Benzo's than she was allowed and still in pain. (She ordered extra meds from out of the country illegally. ) It has successfully controlled her pain with no problems. Her pain is quite different from yours. She has problems in her abdomen from a gang rape when she was 14. She is 65 now. My Pain Management doctor suggested it for me. I have had two Spinal Cord Stimulator's. No more surgeries for me unless it is life or death. I know of only positive outcomes with this. I wish you the best. Please update. I care.

I am 67 and have a spinal cord stimulator also but forgot to mention it. I will definitely ask about the balloon. Thank you for the information. I will definitely keep you updated.

Sorry...I mean baclofen.

Hello @mlmchem1. I am sorry you are going through this all while your pain continues to worsen.

Because you are interested in connecting with others to learn more about pain pumps and their experiences, you will notice that I have moved your post into an existing discussion on the same topic that you can find here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pain-pump-1/?pg=2#chv4-comment-stream-header

I see member @drorvick has joined you. I'd also like to bring in @gcranor who may be able to share more as well.

When are you thinking you will have this procedure?